So you want tickets to an upcoming event, but you’re not sure where to get the best deal? Don’t worry! We’ve written a guide below to help you navigate the various options and get great seats at the lowest price.
Lesson #1 – You can often get tickets cheaper on Stubhub and other broker marketplaces than on Ticketmaster.
There are multiple reasons for this:
- Brokers often have bulk deals with venues or promoters that allow them to get tickets far below face. This is very common especially for New York Broadway shows where broker prices are often half of Ticketmaster prices
- Shows often get overbought and brokers will drop prices in a panic to get rid of bad inventory. Waiting to buy can often be your best option.
Lesson #2 – Most ticket marketplaces carry the exact same inventory, the only difference is the price and fees.
We’re talking about Stubhub, TicketSpot.com, VIVID Seats, and the thousands of other websites that run off of the same inventory systems. Most of these sites use the same inventory feed, and the only difference is the price.
Lesson #3 – Beware of surprise fees! Compare the prices between sites on the checkout page.
Almost all ticketing sites (excluding Stubhub) use huge surprise fees that don’t show up until you get to the checkout page. In fact, most websites actually mark down the tickets cheaper on the event page, but then make it back up on their enormous surprise checkout fees. If you’re looking to comparison shop, make sure to hold off your comparisons until you see the total at checkout.
Lesson #4 – Getting the best price is mostly about timing
Be sure to check out our Ticket Price Predictions page where we regularly make forecasts on when to get the best deal on tickets based on our internal data. You can also send us an email ([email protected]) and request a price prediction if you don’t see what you’re looking for. Of course, it’s completely free!
Ticket Marketplace Comparisons:
I’ve only listed sites below that I know to be safe and reliable marketplaces.
StubHub
Pros:
- Generally has the largest selection, especially for sports events
- Doesn’t charge any fees on checkout
Cons
- Generally the most expensive because of their enormous fees
SuperSeats
Pros:
- Lowest cost option as their prices and fees generally tend to be the lowest.
- Good selection of tickets for most events
Cons:
- Some events can be lacking in selection
VIVID Seats
Pros:
- Good customer service
- Good selection of tickets for most events
- Often competitive in pricing with other marketplaces
Cons:
- Fees at checkout can be pretty substantial
Best of luck out there! If this article has been helpful, we would definitely appreciate you sharing our site with your friends. If you have any additional questions or comments please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected]
